The hail of gunfire was so wild that 115 rounds missed their mark — some hitting an apartment building in Pine Hills where children slept.

I have long maintained that if such a thing had happened in most Central Florida neighborhoods — if bullets had pierced the windows of homes in Windermere or Winter Park — this community would be up in arms.

Well, now a federal judge has given reason for everybody to be concerned — and for the U.S. Justice Department to get involved.

For starters, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell undermined deputies' entire justification for shooting Breedlove. They had claimed Breedlove was trying to ram them with his car. Presnell said the evidence showed: "Breedlove did not use, or threaten to use, his car as a deadly weapon as he tried to escape."

What's more, in his ruling in a civil suit against the deputies brought by Breedlove's family, Presnell echoed the family's contention that the killing was "more akin to an execution than an attempt to arrest an unarmed suspect."

That's right, a federal judge used the word "execution."

Yet local authorities tried to sweep the whole thing under the rug long ago.

That's why the U.S. Justice Department should investigate — the same way it investigates allegations of excessive force at other police departments.

In Ohio, for instance, the feds are currently looking at a case where Cleveland police officers killed two unarmed men, firing the exact same number of rounds that were fired at Breedlove here in Orlando: 137.

In that case, the mayor and police chief welcomed the independent investigation — after an Ohio congresswoman called for it.

I don't care if the call here comes from Democrat Alan Grayson or Republican Dan Webster; from Bill Nelson or Marco Rubio.

It just needs to be issued by someone who wants answers.

The wild and deadly scene involving Breedlove transpired during the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 5, 2010. Orange County sheriff's deputies wanted to arrest Breedlove, a suspected car thief. So they followed him to the parking lot of the apartment complex.

There, Presnell wrote, officers watched him walk about — but did not attempt to arrest him while he was on foot.

Instead, they waited to confront him until he got into his car. Then — after plainclothes officers brandished their guns and surrounded him in unmarked cars — they drew weapons on him, ultimately firing when they claimed he was trying to run them down.

There are still details in dispute — including whether officers identified themselves and whether Breedlove's hands were raised to surrender when he was shot.

But there are no disputes about the barrage of gunfire: 137 rounds; the vast majority missing their mark.

One shattered the window of a unit where resident Porcha Peterson and her 1-year-old daughter were sleeping.

Imagine if such a shootout had happened in a more affluent part of town — one where residents get loud about everything from traffic lights to an unwanted Wawa.

People in this town demand action … when they want it.

Yet in this case, silence. From residents. From City Hall. From county commissioners. From legislators and members of Congress.

And those who investigated the matter — Sheriff Jerry Demings and former State Attorney Lawson Lamar — have already declared the case closed.

Both Demings and Lamar called the shooting justified, citing the alleged ramming, which Presnell said never took place. (Check out the photo of the truck, and judge for yourself how much ramming took place.) And neither spent much time on accountability for the number of rounds fired, and the danger posed to residents.

Listen, I understand the concept of split-second decisions. I also get that most cops are out there for the right reasons, protecting citizens and saving lives.

But no amount of bravery by the majority is an excuse to avoid accountability for a few.

If I had to guess, this deadly evening wasn't the result of nine deputies out looking for trouble. But something went wrong. And we deserve to know the full story.

A federal judge has now labeled the entire incident as the killing of "a trapped, unarmed suspect attempting to surrender."